Kiln for revivifying char.



R. S. KENT.

KILN FOR REVIVIFYING CHAR.

APPLIOATION rnnp 11mm. 1911.

.1 ,OQ4, 1 76 I Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

'8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

11a van (-012- Witnesses.-

R. S. KENT.-

KILN FOR REVIVIFYING CHAR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE :1, 1911.

1,004, 1 76, Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

JI/IIIII/l W6. flagzz M *2 W ROBERT S. KENT, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

KILN FOR REVIVIFYING CHAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedSept. 26, 1911.

Application filed June 3, 1911. Serial No. 631,098.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Item-arr S. Knx'r, a citizen of the United ta'tates, and a resident. of Brooklyn, in. the county of .h'ings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful l m 'n'ovements in Kilns 't'or Revivi'tying Char, of which the :tollowing is a specification.

My present invention is principally in the nature of an in'un'ovement upon that dis closed in Patent No. 972002, granterl to me October-4t, 1910, for improving the construction of kilns used in sugar refineries for the purpose of 'fully drying, and burning out organic waste material from, the animal charcoal or bone-black known as char generally used in sugar refining for removliquors.

particularly to increasing the efiiciency of a kiln of the general type disclosed in my the principal feature of the invention a wall or walls of sutlicient height to change the course of the hot etc., rising from the fire-box, and deliver them'at such a point in the kiln that they will come in contact with the upper parts of the retort pipes before they come in contact with the lower portions of these pipes, while at the same time increasing the draft in the kiln and producing more perfect combustion as a result of bringing the incompletely burned gases, etc, rising from. the fire-box, into contact with a highly heated wall or walls of great area. In the present improved construction all of these advantages are retained and the additional advantages before specified secured. The batlle-walls ot the kiln shown in my aforesaid patent were somewhat higher than those now used, and the two walls of each o'tthose kilns were. spaced at substantially the same distance apartfrom the top to the bottom of the walls, and the space between the walls was so great that the hot gases came in contact with the upper parts of the retorts almost lmmediately. In the later kilns, somewhat lower walls have been. used than those employed 1n the first kilns embodying the invention, and lnstead of building up the two products of combustion,

. [always My present improvements are dlrccted batlle-walls in such a manner as to maintain a unitorm distance between them from the bottom to the top ol. the walls, these walls have been so formed as to provide near the.

top thereof a reduced outlet into the upper I part of the kiln for the products of combustion from the furnace which reduced outlet, 3

the lower ends of the retorts were thoring coloring matter etc. from the sugar oughly protected their upper ends were not from the hottest heat of the rising gases. diecause of this it was found desirable to modify the original construction in such a manner as to reduce still further the temperature of these gases at the points where they came in contact with the upper ends of the retorts. It was found that a sullieient reduction of the temperature of these gases could be etfectcd, without loss of any of the :ulvantagcs of the earlier and higher walls substantially equidistant from each -other at all points, by bringing such walls nearer together at their upper ends and providing a reduced outlet at such point substantially centrally of the two banks of retorts, n'leasured crosswise of the kiln. At the same time the height of these walls was made somewhat less than in the earlier kilns with a consequent. saving in material. and with equally and indeed more perfect conibustion of the rising gases, etc., due in part to the more thorough mixing or commingling oi the va rious' products of combustion and other elements of these gases, etc. This discharge of said hot products from such a centrally located outlet at. the top of the ballle-walls involved an increase in the dis tance which said gases were compelled to upper parts of the retorts, and it was found that with the bathe-walls so modified and the gases discharged from the central outlet in the manner described, said gases when they retorts were at a considerably lower temperature than in the. kilns at first constructed to embody the invention, and that there as well protected as they should be straight travel before they came in contact with the came in contact with the upper parts of the whether formed by one opening or by a pluwas no longer any danger of burning the walls of the retorts at the upper ends thereof.

The feature of delivering the products of combustion into the upper portion of the kiln nearer the central, longitudinal zone thereof than in my first kiln s, and from that zone delivering them into the zone of the retort pipes at a lower temperaturethanthe hotproducts of combustion delivered into the corresponding zone in my first kilns, may be embodied in various specific types of kilns, several of which will be hereinafter described and claimed and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a substantially central, vertical, longitudinal section of a kiln embodying this invention and capable of producing the results just described; Fig. 2 is a substantially central,"cross-section of the same, partly in front elevation, Fig. 3 is a substantially central, cross-section similar to Fig. '2, of a portion of a kiln illustrating one modification of the construct-ion shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4. is a. plan of the main portion of the same; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of another modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 6 is a sectional underside View of a por tion of the same.

Most of the parts constituting the kiln are or may be of any well-known or suitable construction. In these kilns all of the walls are usually of brick, and this is the construction shown herein, the kiln being designated generally by K, the front and rear walls by 2 and ,3, and the side walls by 4 and 5. The kiln is also illustrated here as having an arched roof 6, of a type well understood in the art. Beneath the center of the kiln proper is a fire-box 7 having a grate 8, this fire-box extending in the present case abouttwo-thirds of the way back from the front of the kiln and being fired only from the front, although the fire-box n'iight extend all the way through and be fired from both ends, as in another type of kiln in general use. Kilns of this type contain a large number of retorts in the form of pipes extending from the top to the bottom, of the kiln, these pipes receiving their supplies ordinarily from a superimposed char-drier charcoal from. their lower ends into coolertubes (not shown) located below the floor of the kiln. These retort pipes are ordinarily arranged in two sets at opposite sides of the .fire-box and are shown herein. The rctorts of the different sets are designated respectively by 9 and 10. The walls of the retorts are generally ofthree different thicknesses, being thickest at the upper ends and thinnest at the lower ends, as illustrated in Fig. 2, while the intermediate portion is of an intermediate thickness. Prior to the use of the kilns disclosed in my aforesaid patent (not shown), and delivering the purified retorts of this construction burned out quickly at their lower ends, because the most highly heated products of combustion were delivered in such prior kilns directly in contact with the lower ends of the retorts where the retort-s were less able to resist the high temperature. This was avoided in the kiln of my aforesaid patent and a more perfect drying of the descending char in the retorts effected than when the gases and other products of combustion from the fire-box were circulated upward and came in contact first with the lower ends and afterward with the upper ends of the retorts, as in kilns used prior to the invention of my aforesaid patent. In my improved kiln shown herein, the same great advantages are obtained by reversing the direction of flow of the products of combustion-that is to say, by causing such gases, etc., to flow downward from the tops to the bottoms of the retorts-that were obtained in the kilns constructed as specifically shown and described in my said patent. Here, as there, I make use of one or more battle-walls of relatively great height, coti tierative with the fire-box and one or both sets of retort-s for the purpose of di recting the products of combustion in the first instance up to the upper portions of the rctorts, after which they pass down to the lower ends of said retorts.

As before stated, my present improvements may be embodied in. various construe tions all embracing the same general features common to my improved kiln, as distinguished from the kiln of my aforesaid patent, butall differing specifically from one another. In each case two baffle-walls, such as 11, are preferably employed and are built of brickwork to form between them a draft passage for the upward flow of the products from the fire-box, and downward passages outside such baffle-walls and be tween them and the respective set of retorts to suitable outlets preferably placed at or near the bottom of the kiln and at opposite ends and sides thereof, that is at the four corners of the kiln, as indicated at 12. The

preferred construction is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 1nwh'ich these walls of brick-work the manner indicated. In these views, by the gradual reduction of'the distance be tween the walls, a reduced or contracted out-' let is formed at 14-, which is located at the center of thekiln crosswise thereof, and

also at the central point between the banks of retorts, and extends from end to end of the'kiln. Such a construction as this directs all of the rising gases, etc., into the central portion of the space under the arch of the kiln in such a manner that they come in contact with the upper parts of the retort-pipes first, and afterward come in contact with the ldwer ends of these pi pes, while at the same time all of the other advantages result which have hereinbefore been mentioned. An important feature of this variety of the improved or modified type of kiln is that repairs can be made. readily to the walls 11.

In Figs. 3 and 4 there is illustrated a different variety of'the improved or modified type of kiln in which the baltle-walls 11 are of substantially the same height as in Fig. 2 and are in many respects quite similar in construction, the main ditt'erences being that the bricks are stepped-up both at the inner and outer faces of the two walls,

but are not brought so close together as in the brick-work shown in Fig. 2 and thatthe reduced outlet for the gases, etc, is formed by tiles, such as 15, having suitable openings at their edges. These tiles may be of any suitable size and shape. Both round and rectangular openings or outlets are illustrated in Fig. 4 at 1.6 and 17. These walls also can be readily repaired.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate another variety of the modified or improved type of kiln in which the batllewalls 11 instead of being carried straight up. and then stepped to bring them closer together to form a reduced outlet are built up and connected at their upper ends by :t'ormiug an arch of brick-work having suitable openings, such as 18, extending through it. These openings may be of any suitable size and shape and located in any desired positions, provided the gasesare permitted to escape through them substantially centrally of the kiln measured crosswise thereof. As here shown, there are three rows of these openings, the openings of alternate rows being staggered relatively to each other.

All of the different forms of kiln illus-.

trated embody the same general principle of operation, difiering fromone another in the specific details of their construction and as to the ease with which repairs can be made.

What I claim is:

1. In a kiln for revivifying char, the combination with a fire-box, of a set of retort pipes atone side of said fire-box, and meansior delivering the major portion of the products of combustion from said fire-box into the upper portion of the kiln at a point distant from said retort pipes and circulating such products in contact with first the upper and then the lower portions of said pipes.

2. In a kiln for revivifying char, the combination with a fire-box, of a plurality of retort pipes arranged in sets at opposite sides of the tire-box, and means for circulating the major portion of the products of combustion from said firebox in contact with first the upper and .thcn the lower portions of said retort pipes, said means inchiding a pair of balllc-walls disposed lengthwise of the kiln between the tire-box and the respective of retort pipes and having means for forming between them at their upper ends a reduced outlet for said products of combustion.

3. In a kiln for revivi'tying char, the combination with a tire-box ot' a pluralifiv of retort pipes arranged in sets at opposite sides of the firebox, and means for circulating the major portion of the products of combustion from said fire-box in contact with first the upper and then the lower portions of said retort pipes, said means including a pair of battle-walls disposed lengthwise of the kiln between the fire-box and the respective sets of retort pipes and having means for forming between them at their upper ends an outlet reduced t ansversely of the kiln.

4. In a kiln 't'or revivifying char, the combination with a fire-box, of a plurality of retort. pipes arranged in sets at opposite sides of the tire-box. and means for circlivlating the major portion of the products of combustion from said fire-box in contact with first the upper and then the lower portions of said retort pipes, said means including a pair of baffle-walls disposed lengthwise of the kiln between the fire-box and the respective sets of retort pipes and having means for forming between them at their upper ends an outlet reduced transversely of the kiln and disposed substantially midway between the two sets of pipes.

5. In a kiln for revivifying char, the combination with a fire-box, of a plurality of retort pipes arranged in sets at opposite sides of the fire-box, and means for circulating the major portion of the products of combustion from said fire-box in contact with first the upper and then .the lower portions of said retort pipes, said means including a pair of bathe-Walls disposed lengthwise of the kiln betweenthe fire-box and the respective sets of retort pipes and having at their upper ends means for delivering said products'of combustion into the upper portion of the kiln in the central crosswise zone thereof at a point distant from the retort pipes.

6. In a kiln for 'revivifying char, the combination with a fire-box, of a plurality of retort pipes arrange-:1 in sets at opposite side of the fire-box, and means'for circulating' the major portion of the products of combustion from said fire-box in contact with first the upper and' then th lower portions of'said retort pipes sai means including a pair of baflie-wulls disposed lengthwise of the kiln between the fire-box and the respective sets otlretort pipes and having inner Walls one of which at its upper end approaches the other and forms with it at the upper ends of the Walls a reduced outlet for said products of coinbustion.

7. In a kiln for revivifying char, the

' combination With a fire-box, of a plurality of retort pipes arranged in sets at opposite sides of the fire-box and means for cireulating the major portion of the products of combustion from said lire-box in hontact With first the upper and then the low r portions of said retort pipes said means including a pair of battle-walls disposed ROBERT S. KENT.

Vitnesses C. S. CHAMPION, R. EISENSTAAT. 

